How the Pieces Fit
by thismustbetheplace
Summary: AU. Spencer and Ashley meet by chance, and sparks fly. Is it just a fling or is it something more? Minimal angst / mostly fluff. First attempt at a fanfic...
1. Chapter 1

Hey all - I've been reading this site for years, but this is my first attempt at a fanfic. It's mostly Spashley, with a few other characters you may or may not recognize thrown in here and there.

Feedback welcome!!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

* * *

Spencer Carlin sighed at the blinking screen in front of her, took her black frames off, and rubbed her eyes. It was late. She had planned on meeting Bess at the bar a half hour ago, but the Hopkins account just refused to be put to bed. Most days, Spencer would have welcomed the challenge, but it had been a long week, and right now all the blonde wanted was red wine and a night out with her best friend.

Bess had just started dating the boy they'd affectionately dubbed "elevator crush" - he worked a few floors below her at the Chronicle office, and they'd been eyeing each other for months until one morning a few weeks ago, he'd hopped on the elevator with coffee for two and an invitation to dinner. Bess was used to receiving attention from men, but was so caught of guard by Jack's ("yep, like Captain Sparrow!", he'd joked with an unabashed smile) foresight (he waited for her in the lobby, and had somehow managed to bring her coffee just the way she liked it - with a sprinkle of cinnamon!) that she'd had no choice but to say yes. One date had led to four more, and suddenly, over a span of three weeks, Spencer found her best friend in a constant daze of googley-eyed puppy love. She'd been looking forward to tonight, though - Jack was taking Bess to Napa for the weekend, and she wanted to hear all the juicy details on her friend's newly invigorated sex life before the brunette disappeared into a vino-induced oblivion.

Spencer laughed to herself as she remembered Bess's story about last weekend - she and Jack had done the Alcatraz tour with all the tourists, and somehow managed to slip into an empty cell for a quickie. There were a lot of ways in which she and Bess were very very different, and sex in public was one of them. Actually, Spencer amended her thoughts, that wasn't quite true. There was that time on a ferris wheel, and god knows in college, she'd done it in the library stacks more than once. And under the main campus statue, and ...maybe she was more like Bess than she liked to admit.. oh screw it, Spencer interrupted her thoughts; there was no way she was going to get any more work done. It was Friday night, and her best friend in the whole world was waiting down the street with a giant pitcher of sangria.

She quickly saved the file she'd been working in, and closed her laptop. Reaching up, she let out the haphazard bun she'd tied up earlier, and shook out her long blonde hair. Quickly, she checked her makeup - minimal, but effective. the violet eye shadow she'd lightly applied that morning was still evident, and made her blue eyes shine just enough to hide the fact that she was exhausted. luckily, the weather had been perfect last weekend, and she had been outside long enough to retain a soft tan that just hinted at the end of summer. not bad for a Friday night on what had perhaps been her busiest week yet.

As Spencer stepped into the elevator, she smiled at the empty office she left behind. she was often the first one in and the last to leave, and it was exhausting, but her hard work was part of what made the firm so successful. After three years with the boutique architecture firm, she'd already made Junior Partner, and rumors were she'd be moving up again soon. She was a confident and hard worker, with a streak of creativity that surprised even her sometimes, and the senior architects at McCauley & Johnson had quickly recognized her potential. Her friends at the firm affectionately referred to her as "Super Spencer," and though she was humble enough to be baffled by it, it did please her that she was able to be both successful and well liked by her peers. It helped that Spencer was blissfully unaware of her own charisma - she was beautiful, whip smart, and exuded enthusiasm and confidence, and yet there was something innocent about her that made it impossible to see her as anything but an honest and loyal employee. She was a huge asset to the firm, and Bess loved to make her blush by threatening to march right up to Mr. McCauley and Mrs. Johnson and demand another promotion for her.

Bess - the consummate flirt and outspoken best friend - had a flair for the dramatic, but Spencer loved her all the more for it. They'd been freshman year roommates in college, and had initially clashed. Some time in the middle of the year, though, something had just clicked - maybe it was the way Spencer dragged Bess to every campus event, or the time that they'd gone out and danced until 6 am with the skinny boys in the international dorm - and they'd been inseparable since. Bess had been with her every year on the anniversary of Clay's death, and Spencer had supported Bess through Mama Sykes' bout with cancer. And they'd been there for each other through the breakups - every single loud, messy, cd-throwing, clothes-in-trash-bags slinging, endless-crying and ice-cream-indulging breakup. When lousy frat boy Sean had cheated on Bess after a year and a half with a girl from the cheerleading squad, Spencer was there with a copy of Love Actually and a pint of Bi-Rite's salted caramel. When Spencer had broken up with Dani the summer before senior year and ran home to seek solace at her parents', Arthur and Paula had called Bess to get her out of the funk. Three Nicholas Sparks' movies and a shopping spree in Pac Heights later, Bess had finally convinced Spencer to listen to her parents when they told her she deserved far better than "that scrawny grad student with unsightly tattoos." As her mother (the "stern but sexy Mama Carlin", as Bess liked to joke) put it, "she wasn't even that cute!" The two girls had been through everything together, and after eight years, they were more like sisters than best friends.

* * *

"It's about time!" Bess exclaimed as Spencer slid into the seat next to her. She was already on her second glass, but she hadn't really minded the wait, "That cutie by the bar's been eye f***ing me for the past twenty minutes; why do I always attract the good ones when im taken?"

Spencer grinned as she poured herself a glass of sangria, "I'll take him off your hands, if you like." She accentuated her point by fishing out a wine-soaked chuck of apple, popping it in her mouth, and suggestively licking the wine that trickled down her fingers.

Bess laughed heartily, and wiggled her eyebrows in response. "Mmmm hmm. And what exactly would you do with him?"

The blonde was quick to respond - "Keep him warm for you, obviously!"

"Why thank you. And how?", this should be a good one.

Spencer smiled demurely, "Seat warmers, duh."

With that, the women collapsed into a fit of giggles.


	2. Let it Rock

First fanfic… im just easing into it here. Advice is welcome!

Spashley soon enough!

* * *

Two pitchers and some to-die-for thin crust mini pizzas later, Spencer and Bess stood outside Lime waiting for Jack. The club was getting crowded, and they were both ready to dance. The bass lines to the new Kevin Rudolph thumped heavily as the doors swung open to let a crowd of overdressed boys who'd been lamely trying to flirt with them in, and Spencer joked that if Jack didn't show up soon, maybe Bess should give them a chance.

Bess laughed good-naturedly, "Maybe they have some kid sisters for you, too!"

Just then, Jack walked up behind the women, slinging an arm good naturedly around the friends. "Hey cuties! Sorry I'm late; Aiden here took forever to get ready. I swear, he's worse than you, Bess." He cocked his head back at the man hiding sheepishly behind them. Aiden was the exact opposite of Jack; the latter was dirty blonde, with a mess of short curls, and dark steel frames around his grey eyes that gave him a studious, handsome look. Aiden, though, was tall and dark, with sharp chiseled features. His face was all angles, and would have seemed harsh were it not for his soft green eyes and wide smile. "Hey ladies," he grinned as he stepped forward.

Bess laughed, kissing Jack fully on the mouth and then bounding over to give Aiden a hug. Spencer watched them closely; Jack seemed like a great guy and it was obvious he adored her. Spencer hadn't met Aiden before though, and Bess hadn't mentioned Jack was bringing a friend. She stepped forward smiling, inwardly hoping Jack wasn't going to try to set her up.

"Hi, I'm Spencer." She extended her hand, and hoped her smile didn't look too inviting. He was good looking - gorgeous even, but he was certainly not her type.

Aiden just laughed, and when Spencer frowned slightly, he took her hand and pulled her into a warm and unexpected hug. "The infamous Spencer!"

She pulled away quickly and laughed nervously. "Um, yep." she squeaked, craning her head around the giant brunette to catch Bess's eye, but her friend was already caught up with her boyfriend. Crap, more than a few drinks in and instead of finding a cute girl to dance with, she was going to be stuck fending off this breeder all night.

As the foursome entered the club, she grabbed Bess's hand and pulled her to the side. "What is this???" she hissed.

Bess just laughed - no doubt too caught up in her little honeymoon with Jackie-poo, "Spencer, just give him a chance."

Spencer looked at her like she had three heads, "What are you crazy? Hello, Im g-"

"Just give him a chance!" Bess cut her off, and with that, turned around and grabbed her boyfriend's hand, pulling him into the crowd swaying rhythmically on the dance floor. "Come on Jackers, lets boogie!"

Spencer turned back towards Aiden reluctantly, bracing herself for a night of discomfort. However, she didn't expect Aiden's smile to be so infectious. "Come on, Spence, let's get me a drink!" He did a little jig in place, and the blonde couldn't help but laugh. Okay, so he had a penis; she could still enjoy herself. She let him pull her towards the bar; why not?

* * *

"So my coworker walks back into his office, and this woman has taken off all of her clothes. And you'd think sexy, right? But instead, he screams like a little girl and slams the door. Then he made me go in there to ask her to leave. But on the way out, he stopped us to ask for her number!!" Aiden threw his head back and laughed heartily.

Spencer joined him; she was actually having a great time. Aiden was hilarious, and they'd been holed up in a back booth while he regaled her with stories about his job in PR. He had been a complete gentleman, too, and the blonde could easily see them becoming good friends.

She had just begun telling Aiden about the time her boss came to work with all his clothes inside out when he suddenly shot up out of his bar stool, grinning ear to ear. Spencer followed his gaze towards the door, and felt her heart skip a beat. A man and woman had just walked in together, and it was if the entire club had turned to catch their entrance. They were gorgeous.

The man had thick, dirty blonde hair and a body Spencer's brother Glen would have killed for. His tight gray sweater hinted at a model's body, and his dark jeans showed off a perfect ass. Spencer could have sworn she heard the girls next to hear squeal. The blonde hardly noticed him, though; it wasn't the man who'd caught her attention but the woman close on his arm. She was long and lean, and her dark green minidress accentuated a dark tan and eye dropping cleavage. Her legs were toned and muscular, and the short dress left little to the imagination. Her face, though - Spencer couldn't help but stare. She was breathtaking - soft brown curls framed high cheekbones and a crooked smile. And her eyes - they were a soft amber that shone all the way across the room. Who was this woman, the blonde wondered, and why did she have to be straight?

"Over here!" Aiden's voice suddenly interrupted Spencer's reverie. Wait, Aiden knew these ridiculously attractive people? Spencer could barely think; this woman had her in a daze. Get a grip, she scolded herself silently, and stood up, grinning goofily.

Aiden stepped forward as the couple came to meet him, throwing his arm protectively around Spencer to pull her towards them as well. Normally, she'd have been annoyed at the slightly possessive gesture from a man she'd just met, but right now she was far too busy imagining what the brunette looked like under that little green dress to care.  
"Everyone, this is Spencer. Spencer, meet Eric and Ashley!" Aiden proudly presented her, pushing her forward as Eric took her hand.

"Nice to meet you." Spencer croaked; for all she knew she'd just said "turtle soup"; her brain was absolutely fried.

"Hey there, can I help you??" Spencer suddenly realized she'd been staring. She turned beet red and smiled sheepishly at Ashley as the girl addressed her.

"Oh! Hi, hey, I'm Spencer. Nice to meet you." she responded in what she hoped was her most confident voice.

Ashley just looked at her and laughed, giving Spencer a wide smile that made her want to go home and imagine all the other ways in which that perfect mouth might be put to use.

"Come on, let's get me a drink!" the brunette announced, and Spencer suddenly found her elbow looped around Ashley's as the taller girl led her through the sea of onlookers towards the bar.

"Wait," the blonde protested, "what about Aiden and your boyfriend?"

Ashley looked at her incredulously, "What boyfriend???" she laughed.

"Um, that guy, Eric?" Spencer didnt understand why Ashley was gaping at her like she had a third head.

"Um, that guy?" Ashely mimiced back good naturedly, and pointed behind them. Spencer turned around, and in that instant, realized how ridiculously unobservant she was. Back at the table, Aiden and Eric were kissing softly, their foreheads touching lightly as they whispered to each other.

"Aiden's gay??" Spencer exclaimed. She SO hadn't seen this coming.


End file.
